Barbaralee Stratton

Barbaralee was born in Denver, Colorado on September 30, 1927 to Rose Amelia Reiter and Bert W. Terrell. Her parents preceded her in death, as did her four siblings, Frank Ellis, Edna Turner, Dorothy Gibbons and Morris Terrell. Also, preceding her in death was her son, Vernon Roy "Rusty" Stratton. She graduated from North High School in Denver in 1945, and danced professionally with her sister, Dorothy in a female dance troop, performing in nightclubs throughout the Denver area. During this time, she met her future husband, Wayne Stratton, who was a saxophone player in one of the bands she was performing with. Barbaralee and Wayne were married on September 28, 1946, after his return from service with the Coast Guard in WWII. Barbaralee gave up her dancing shoes and Wayne gave up his saxophone so they could settle down and start their family. Barbaralee and Wayne had three children: Clifford Wayne "Brick," Vernon Roy "Rusty," and Harry Phillip "Dusty." Upon retiring, they moved to Windsor Gardens in Denver where Barbaralee picked back up her dancing shoes, and they became well known for their dancing and singing routines with various senior show groups. After Wayne's death in 2017, Barabaralee moved with Brick's family from her lifelong home in Denver, Colorado to her new home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Barbaralee is survived by two sons, six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, Barbaralee's family suggests a donation to your favorite charity. The memorial service for Barbaralee will take place on Saturday, November 28, 2020 at 3:00 pm ET at Nelsen Funeral Home in Williamsburg, VA. In accordance with COVID guidelines, the memorial service will be livestreamed. To access the livestream, please visit Facebook.com/nelsenwilliamsburg.